Acetylene-gas generator.



N0. 723,778. I PAT'BNTED MAR. 24, 1903. G. W. MACKENZIE- AOETYLENE GASGENERATOR; 7 APPLICATION FILED ps0. 26', 1990. RENEWED JAN. 10, 1903. no0pm,: a-smzms-s 1.

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"No. 728,778. 7 7 PATENTED MAR; 24, 1903;

' G. W.MA0KEN ZIE.

AGETYLENE. GAS GENERATOR. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26, 1900. 'n nmw-nnJAN. 10,1903. nononmh sums-sum 2..

THE nnams vmzns co. PHOTQLITHQ. WASHINGTON a. c.

NITED STATES GEORGE W. MACKENZIE, OF BEAVER, PENNSYLVANIA.

ACETYLENE-GAS GENERATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 723,778, dated March24. 1903. Application filed December 26, 1900. Renewed January 10. 1903.Serial'No. 138,519. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern;

, Be it known that'LGEoRdn W. MACKENZIE, a citizen of the United Statesof America, and a resident of Beaver, county of Beaver, State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAcetylene-Gas Generators, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional viewthrough the apparatus comprising the generator and holder. Fig.2 is ahorizontal cross-section,on an enlarged scale,indicated by the line IIII of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an exterior detail view of a portion of theholder and bell, showing the devices for automatically discharging acartridge into the bath when the bell falls. Fig. 4 is a perspectivedetail view showing the hinged partitions, the drop-gate, and itssupporting-lever. Fig. 5 is a similar view showing a modifiedconstruction of lever- Fig. 6 is a detail view illustrating amodification.

My invention relates to the class of acetylone-gas generators whereinthe carbid is submerged in the water in measured quantities;

and it consistsin improvementsin the means forsupporting thecartridges,immersing them in the water of the bath, isolating eachcartridge by projecting swinging gates, and in such other details ofconstruction as shall be more particularly hereinafter set forth.

Referring to the drawings, the entire apparatus consists generally of ageneratingcompartment A and a storage and cooling compartment or holderB, provided with a The generator is de-.

rising and falling bell. signed to operate in conformity with theconsumption of the gas and is automatically governed by the fall of thebell due to the exhaustion of its contents.

The generator A is composed of a cylindrical chamber having outer andinner walls 2 3, an intervening water-seal space 4, and an interiorwater-bath and gas-generatin g chamher 5, closed by a bottom 6. Theentire generator is covered by a circular top 7, provided with acylindrical downwardly extending shell 8, adapted to be immersed in thewater contained in space 4, thus forming an effective water seal toprevent escape of gas. A

drain cook or valve 9 is provided to'draw off water, sediment, &c., thebottom tapering downwardly to the valve. The valve is provided with ahandle or operating-lever 10, which in the closed position of the valveprojects into range of and is engaged by a swinging locking-arm 11 onthe lower side of a th'ree-waycock 12, through which the gas may passeither to the holder or to the atmosphere.

Arranged centrally in the interior of the generating-chamber is agas-pipe 13, the upper open end of which terminates above thewater-line, the pipe leadingdown and through the lower side of thechamber over to the gasometer through valve 12.

Surrounding the upper interior of the gas-- producing chamber, regularlyspaced on a concentric common level, are aseries of cartridge-supportingshelves 14, hinged at 15 to the interior of the shell 3 in any suitablemanner and segmentally shaped and arranged, as shown, so as topractically form a continuous supporting sectional platform across thearea above the bath when elevated to support the cartridges. One ofthese shelves is shown thus supported in Fig. 1, while the one on theopposite side is shown dropped. Each shelf is provided with an innerextension 16, or the shelf may he simply tapered toward its end, asshown in Fig. 5, the object of such extension being to provide a portionfor engagement by the supportinglever.

Pivotally mounted at 17 on the outside of a space-filling drum 18 or toany suitable base are a series of supporting-levers 19, having attheirlower ends lips 20, adapted to engage and support the inner end ofthe hinged gate, each gate having its corresponding lever, as shown, andthe top of each lever projects upwardly into the circular path of anintermittently actuated dislodging-arm 21, secured to the bottom of avertical stem 22, having an elongated bearing in a cross-bar 23 on thegenerator-top. Intermittent partial rotations of the stem 22ers impartedto it through the movement of a pawl 2'6,pivoted' to the lever 27 andadapted to engage a ratchet-wheel 28, secured to the upper end of stem22. The lever 27 is journaled on the stem, projects outwardly, and isseparably connected at 29 with the shifting rod 30, which at its otherend is attached to the lower end of a lever 31, made integral with andextending downwardly from a swinging shifting arm 32, pivoted at 33 to abracket 34:, secured to the outer case of the holder. This shifting armis provided with an upper straight slot 35, terminating in a lowercurved slotted cam portion 36, in which slot engages a pin 37,projecting outwardly from and moving in conformity with the rising andfalling bell of the holder. As the holder falls, due to exhaustion ofgas, the pin enters the curved portion 36, throwing the lever 31 back,shifting lever 27, and rotating shaft 22 and with it the arm 21. As thisarm 21 is intermittently thrown around it engages the top of each lever19 in succession, tipping it over in the direction of the arrow in Fig.4:, by which movement the inner end of each shelf 14. is released,permitting the shelf to drop and allowing the cartridge to fall into thebath. Each shelf is provided with afinger-hole 37', by which it may beeasily raised to be reset, such operation being very easily accomplishedby simply tipping each lever back to its supporting position as eachshelf is held upr In the act of immersing the cartridge it sometimeshappens that. water is splashed up, and for the purpose of protectingthe next adjaeeu t cartridge the su pporti ng-shel ves and theircartridges are isolated from each other by a vertical partition 38,which is hinged at 39 to the inner shell in such manner as to permitmovement in either direction on the hinge or to fold back against theside, as indicated in Fig. 2. These partitions extend below thewater-line and for a considerable distance above it and eifectuallyprevent any water from reaching the other cartridges. It will be notedthat by reason of the width of eachshelf being somewhat narrower thanits space considerable clearance is left on each side of each partition,as at 40, permitting of lateral movement of the partition in eitherdirection when the shelves are horizontal, so thatif for any reason acartridge should become partially slaked and swell the partitions arefree to move sufficiently to provide room. This, however, does notordinarily occur in the operation of the machine. A further advantage inhaving the partitions hinged is that in recharging the apparatus thepartitions may be swung around, as shown in Fig. 2, providing clearancefor the hand orany suitable utensil used in raising the shelves tohorizontal position.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 5 the lever 19 is replaced by thelever 19', supported at 17 and provided with an upper cam extremity 41,against the inner tapered edges of which the end of the lever 21 bears,acting to force the upper end of the lever out, the lower supporting endbeing retracted. Such lower end is provided with a lip 20, adapted tosupport the free end of the bottom 14, hinged at 15, preferably providedwith finger-hole 37 and adapted to support the cartridge in thesamemanner as has been already described.

The carbid for this apparatus is contained in bags of muslin, comprisingcartridges 42 of suitable size to generate gas to the capacity of theholder, one cartridge being placed on each shelf, and I have foundexcellent results from such form of cartridges, as the slaked carbid issecurely contained in the bag,greatly facilitating its removal in aneasy and cleanly manner.

Inits construction and operation my invention is very simple andreliable, not liable to get out of order, the objectionable features ofdanger-trouble in changing and cleaning, as well as the necessity offrequent attentionhave been overcome, and the apparatus will generallycommend itself to those skilled in this art.

It will be understood that changes and variations maybe made by theskilled mechanic without departing from my invention, and all suchchanges are included in the following claims.

What I claim is 1. In an acetylenegas generator, the combination with acylindrical shell constituting a water-bath, of a series ofconcentrically-arranged eartridge-supporting shelves pivotally supportedat their outer ends within the shell, a corresponding series of pivotedlevers adapted to support the inner ends of the shelves in horizontalposition, an intermittently-operated rotating, arm adapted to tip thelovers to release the shelves, with intervening vertical swingingpartitions between the sheives adapted to fold against the shell.

2. In an acetylene-gas generator provided with a water-bath, and aseries of cartridgesupporting hinged shelves adapted to be maintainedabove the water-line; vertical separating hinged partitions between theshelves, substantially as set forth.

3. In an acetylene-gas generator provided with a water-bath, and aseries of cartridgesupporting hinged shelves adapted to be maintainedabove the water-line; vertical separating hinged partitions between theshelves, extending below and above the water-line, substantially as setforth.

4. In an acetylene-gas generator provided with a water bath; thecombination of a hinged cartridgesupporting shelf, a pivoted leveradapted to support the free end of the shelf, an intermittently-rotatingarm adapted to tip the lever to release the shelf, a stem thereforprovided with a ratchet-wheel, a lever and pawl engaging theratchet-wheel, a cam-lever adapted to be actuated by the rising andfalling bell of a holder, and a connection between such cam-lever andthe pawllever with vertical hinged protecting-partitions at each side ofthe shelf, substantially as set forth.

5. In an acetylene-gas generator provided with a water-bath, thecombination of a series of hinged cartridge-supporting shelves, verticalintervening hinged partitions, pivoted levers adapted to support thefree end of the shelves,anintermittently-rotatingarm adapted to tip thelevers to release the shelves, a stem carrying the arm provided with aratchetwheel; a lever and pawl engaging the ratchetwheel, a cam-leveradapted to be actuated by the rising and falling bell of a holder, and aconnection between such cam-lever and the pawl-lever, substantially asset forth.

6. In an acetylene-gas generator provided with a water-bath, and ahinged supportingshelf ,for the cartridge; a pivoted lever adapt-

